Budding time-lords will get a console-gaming Doctor Who fix next year, as developers SuperMassiveGames have just revealed they’re working on a trio of time-travelling games for the PS Vita, PS3 and PC.
SuperMassiveGames, whose previous work includes DLC packs for LittleBigPlanet, will launch Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock as their first title.
Written by the team at BBC Wales and featuring the voice-over talents of Matt Smith and Alex Kingston (AKA the Doctor and River Song), the game bosts ‘Photo-real’ graphics and ‘television quality scenes.’
No word yet on what to expect in terms of gameplay, but we’d expect a light mix of exploration and point-and-click style puzzle solving, with liberal dashings of sonic screwdrivering.
While Sony has initially bagged console exclusivity rights for the early 2012 launch, it’s thought that an Xbox 360 port will follow shortly afterwards.
Steven Moffat wants the existing TV Time Lord to appear in the Doctor Who movie.
The BBC One sci-fi show is set to be turned into a film and the programme’s showrunner thinks the current Doctor – who is played by Matt Smith – should portray him on the big screen.
Writing on his twitter page, Steven said: “There are no developed plans for a Doctor Who movie at the moment. It’s an incredibly exciting idea to get that magic blue box flying across our cinema screens.
“But if and when the movie happens it will need to star television’s ‘Doctor Who’ – and there’s only ever one of those at a time.”
Steven spoke out after ‘Harry Potter’ director David Yates revealed he was working on a ‘Doctor Who’ movie and that it would likely have a new star playing the Time Lord.
He added: “The brilliant David Yates was talking off the cuff and a little prematurely.”
David – who said he plans to spend “two to three years” working with the BBC to turn the popular sci-fi TV series into a cinematic spectacular – revealed he was looking for a writer rather than thinking about the lead actor.
He said: “I can’t really talk about that because it’s such a long way away. We’re principally looking for a writer, and we’ll start with that. Everything has to start with a great script, so that’s more important than [casting].”
Matt Smith’s Doctor Who costume has sold for £50,000.
Final bidding on the outfit – which included a tweed jacket, shirt, black jeans, black boots, braces, bow-tie and a watch worn in the episode The Doctor’s Wife – and a script signed by the actor closed at the staggering sum on Monday (22.11.11), with proceeds going to Children In Need.
Of the auction, Matt said: “I’d say the tweed jacket or the bow tie are the most iconic – although the boots are my personal favourite. I hope people donate generously for BBC Children in Need because it’s a wonderful cause.”
In the episode in which he wore the attire, the Doctor’s TARDIS was transported into the body of a woman, portrayed by Suranne Jones.
The auction of the Doctor’s clothes, and a copy of the script written by showrunner Stephen Moffat were part of BBC Children in Need’s Once in a Lifetime online auction being held at www.bbc.co.uk/Pudsey.
Children from London test out Doctor Who Ride In Daleks, predicted to be a top seller for Christmas this year for 3 to 6 year-old, at the Brand Licensing Europe 2011 event at Olympia Exhibition Centre, London.
Outnumbered actress Claire Skinner (pictured with onscreen hubbie played by Hugh Dennis) and comedian Bill Bailey are to guest-star in the Doctor Who Christmas special.
The two stars will also be joined by Fast Show actress Arabella Weir and comedian Alexander Armstrong in the festive episode with the Doctor, who is played by Matt Smith.
The storyline is set in World War II England and will see the Time Lord crash land his TARDIS in Dorset and pretend to be the caretaker of a creepy house where he will meet widow Madge Arwell – portrayed by Claire – and her two children, Lily and Cyril.
The trio have been evacuated from London to the countryside to escape the German bombing raids and with the Doctor they embark on a wintery adventure partly inspired by C. S. Lewis’ classic children’s novel The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
Claire said: “I am thrilled Madge is a bit of a super-mum. It’s a magical part.”
Showrunner Steven Moffat insists the Yule Tide story is the most “Christmassy” ‘Doctor Who’ episode yet.
He said: “If you thought last year’s show was the most Christmassy ever then think again!
“The Doctor at Christmas – nothing is more fun to write. It’s maybe because it’s so his kind of day. Everything’s bright and shiny, everybody’s having a laugh, and nobody minds if you wear a really stupid hat. Of all the Doctors, Matt’s is the one who was born for this time of year.”
Production on the Christmas special has already begun in Cardiff and is scheduled to conclude in mid-October.
Doctor Who continues on BBC One this Saturday (24.09.11) with Closing Time, which sees James Corden return as Craig Owens.
Former Doctor Who co-stars David Tennant and Billie Piper will be reunited on screen in a new BBC romantic drama.
The tenth Doctor will join forces with Billie – who played his companion Rose Tyler from 2005 to 2010, when they both left the sci-fi show – to star in five-part series Love Life, which follows the romantic affairs of five couples in one town.
Unveiled at the Edinburgh Festival this weekend, the series will be a first for the BBC as it will feature a number of improvised scenes.
BBC Drama head Ben Stephenson told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “It features some of our very best acting talent working in a way we’ve never seen on screen from them before.”
David has previously filmed erotic scenes with actress Suranne Jones for drama Single Father, but admitted he didn’t find the experience very sexy.
He said: “Whatever you might think, filming a sex scene is never an erotic and charged experience, not that Suranne isn’t lovely. I wouldn’t wish to be doing it with anyone else! What am I saying?
Love Life also stars Jane Horrocks, David Morrissey and Ashley Walters, and was written by BAFTA award winner Dominic Savage.
Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat believes Adolf Hitler would be very angry if he saw himself in Let’s Kill Hitler.
The writer-and-producer ridicules the Nazi leader in the opening episode of the autumn season of the BBC sci-fi show and he insists it was always his intention to treat the fascist dictator in an irreverent way.
Speaking at the screening of the episode at the BFI in London last night (16.08.11), he said: “Hitler is quite an iconic name to be honest – in an evil and ghastly way. I think my younger son said, ‘Won’t Hitler be offended?’
In Indiana Jones there was a brilliant gag where Indiana Jones accidentally gets Hitler’s autograph. I think if you really want to p**s off Hitler, now that he’s dead, you don’t make him into an icon of evil, you take the mickey out of him, make him a joke, make him be punched by Rory. I can imagine how cross Adolf would be if he watched the episode.”
Steven – who was joined at the special screening by ‘Doctor Who’ stars Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill, who play married couple Amy Pond and Rory Williams – also revealed the second run of episodes centres around the death of The Doctor (Matt Smith) which was shown in the series opener ‘The Impossible Astronaut’.
The writer has introduced a number of mind-boggling plotlines to the current season but he is confident viewers will be able to keep up when the show returns to screen later this month.
Steven explained: “They’re all basically going back to Lake Silencio. I mean, that’s where the Doctor’s going. He’s going to know that he has to turn up there and die. But assuming an intelligent audience is a good idea and clearly, going by our ratings, it’s a successful idea.
“I can’t see what’s wrong about assuming intelligence in your audience and what’s bad news about being rewarded for assuming that. They are clever, they will get it. My nine year old got all of this ages ago.”
Matt Smith: Doctor Who should be dark, scary and sexy
Matt Smith believes Doctor Who should be “dark, scary and sexy”. The actor – who plays the eleventh incantation of the titular Timelord – can’t understand criticisms of the programme for being less family-friendly, as he thinks it still has the same values as in the 1970s.
Asked if he thinks the show is too dark, scary or sexy, he said: “No! I think it’s ridiculous to say so. I think it should be all of those things. I think it should be dark, I think it should be scary.
“And sexy? I mean, for God’s sake, look at the companions of Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker [the third and fourth Doctors] in their tiny, Tarzanian tops.”
Matt also hit out at criticism of his co-star Karen Gillan’s skimpy outfits for her character Amy Pond, insisting the sexiness of the Doctor’s companion is part of the programme’s appeal for older male viewers.
He told Live magazine: “What do people want Karen to dress in – a floor-length skirt, a pair of jeans and a hoodie? I mean, she’s a beautiful woman. Amy Pond is a sexy character, by her very nature. No one’s quite like Amy.
“God, I just think all of that is brilliant, because it is fun. I think it’s clever, too. Have you ever watched ‘The Simpsons’ with your son and laughed at different things? Isn’t that one of the virtues of a show like this, when you can see something and look over and go, ‘Know what? In a few years, you’ll get that one.’ “I think that’s what Steven [Moffat, executive producer] does. Don’t tell me that the dads at home don’t go, ‘Ah, cool – Karen’s on.’ “
Karen Gillan is to return to Doctor Who for Series 7
Karen Gillan has confirmed she will return to Doctor Who.
The actress – who plays the time-travelling Doctor’s companion, Amy Pond – will be back for the seventh series of the BBC One sci-fi show, her third alongside the current Doctor, Matt Smith.
Speaking at Comic-Con in San Diego yesterday (24.07.11), she told blog Zap2it: “I am going to come back, yes. That’s the first time I’ve said that today!”
Speculation was rife that Karen would not be returning to the show after her casting in a revival of stage play Inadmissible Evidence by John Osborne in London.
Karen was at the conference for the first time, and said she had a weird encounter when she and Matt came face to face with fans dressed as their characters.
She added: “It’s amazing. I can’t believe the scale of it. It’s a whole town.
“The other day me and Matt ran into the Doctor and Amy. It’s a really surreal experience. It’s so exciting!”
Meanwhile, producers Piers Wenger and Beth Willis revealed the doctor could once day regenerate in a different gender.
When asked by a young girl if he there could ever be a female doctor, producer Beth Willis, said: “I think it’s possible. Every time the Doctor regenerates, the thought crosses the mind.”
Could it be Rupert Murdoch, aka Davros, hitting back at politicians trying to thwart his evil plans for world domination. Not yet anyway. Actually it’s the Doctor Who Experience which has recreated a classic Doctor Who story: The Dalek Invasion of Earth from 1964.
Taking place on Westminster Bridge in central London, the photoshoot used four generations of Daleks from the series. The Doctor Who Experience runs at London’s Olympia until November.
The decision of BBC bosses to split the Doctor Who series in half in 2012 has sparked an angry reaction among its millions of fans
BBC One controller Danny Cohen has confirmed the sci-fi show will be downsized next year, which has led to speculation that four one hour-long specials are in line to replace the 13-part series in 2012.
However, BBC entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba had revealed the season could be split between 2012 and 2013. He tweeted: “Bit of confusion, to summarise: no FULL 13 episode series of Dr Who in 2012. So some episodes will still go out in 2012. Remainder in 2013.
“No idea yet how many episodes in total in 2013. But, hey, it’s still two years away.
“Don’t know how many 2012 eps or what time of year they’ll be broadcast. Just what Danny Cohen said earlier which was no FULL series in 2012.
“No further details about what more’s happening in 2013 yet. But it’s the 50th anniversary, so of course there will be some great stuff!”
An angry Doctor Who fan tweeted: “It’s a huge blow. The Beeb clearly don’t care about the show’s fans. What the hell is the BBC playing at mucking about with one of its flagship shows?”
Last week it was reported that Doctor Who actor was lining up a possible film career in Hollywood. He said: “I have a lot of ambitions. I would like one day to direct and I just want to keep doing quality work. LA is kinda groovy – I really like it out there … Would I get a big part, who knows? Sadly, that is not up to me. That all depends on people in the American film industry and whether they want to put me there.”
Matt Smith has signed up to return to Doctor Who as the Timelord in a run which will include 13 episodes and a Christmas special.
BBC One executive Sam Hodges tweeted: “Doctor Who is returning. Fourteen new episodes have been commissioned with Matt Smith as The Doctor.”
Executive producer Steven Moffat added: “14 eps + Matt DEFINITELY. I’ve got a plan and I’m not telling you what it is. Now hush or River shoots you with her Spoiler Gun. (sic)”
The news will come as a welcome relief to fans after the 28-year-old actor – who shot to fame when he replaced David Tennant as the Time Lord – fuelled speculation he wants to leave the show saying he was planning to pursue a Hollywood career and had even set up meetings with movie bosses in Los Angeles.
He said: “I’m going over to Los Angeles this week to dip my head in the pond. I am going to be having loads of meetings with film people and that sort of stuff. I have a lot of ambitions. I would like one day to direct and I just want to keep doing quality work. LA is kinda groovy – I really like it out there … Would I get a big part, who knows? Sadly, that is not up to me. That all depends on people in the American film industry and whether they want to put me there.”
Doctor Who writer Matthew Graham believes there is a “masterplan” behind Rory’s ‘deaths’ in the show.
The writer – who has penned this week’s adventure The Rebel Flesh, the first episode of a two-part adventure which concludes next week with The Almost People – is sure Steven Moffat’s penchant for constantly almost killing Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) will eventually be revealed to be significant in the overall story arc of this series.
Matthew said in an interview with SFX magazine: “Does he (Rory) die in every episode? I suppose he does! He does die a lot. That’s a good point. You know what, with any other showrunner I’d say, ‘Oh, I don’t know, they probably don’t know what they’re doing.’ But if anyone has a masterplan about Rory’s multiple deaths, it’ll be Steven. But I will be the last to know.”
The Life on Mars co-creator also revealed his upcoming episodes rely more on traditional plot elements such as frights and questions of morality rather than playing on the time travel element of the BBC One sci-fi series – which stars Matt Smith as the titular Doctor.
He added: “With the story I needed to tell, there was no point in overcomplicating it in terms of structure. I think what’s going to be a lot of fun about this story is that it’s a Frankenstein’s monster tale and complexities that comes out of the story are moral and social complexities rather than timey whime stuff.
“So there didn’t seem to be any point in telling the story backwards, or throwing structural curveballs at the audience. It’s a big enough challenge for writers to just tell a good solid story in real time.”
Sophie Ellis Bextor wants to appear in Doctor Who!
Murder on the Dancefloor hitmaker Sophie Ellis Bextor thinks she has the perfect features to be cast as a foe for the Doctor (Matt Smith) and his companion Amy Pond (Karren Gillan).
She tweeted: “Ambition thought of the day: I would love to play an alien on Dr Who. No prosthetics required!”
Meanwhile, writer Matthew Graham says the two-part story he has penned for the show, The Rebel Flesh and The Almost People should come with a warning, despite the BBC already moving Doctor Who to a later start time this Saturday May 21.
He told website Den of Geek: “I showed it to my wife the other night and there were a couple of images in it where she went, ‘Actually, that’s quite scary. That’s not very pleasant.’ I also notice that that it’s going out a bit later. I wouldn’t be surprised if they put a warning out beforehand.”
The Life on Mars creator also admitted he is hoping to be asked to write more episodes of ‘Doctor Who’ in the future.
He added: “I had such a good time on this run that I would love to come back and do some more. They seem very, very pleased with the episode, so I hope they’d consider asking me back.”
The Silence have become the latest addition to the Doctor Who Experience.
The Time Lord’s deadly enemies, who were introduced to the BBC One sci-fi show earlier this series, are set to join the interactive exhibition at London’s Olympia 2 venue today.
The Silence – who use their psychic powers to control humans – will join a host of other enemies from the programme’s 48-year history, including several different generations of Daleks, a Zygon – who battled Fourth Doctor Tom Baker in 1975 – an Ice Warrior – who clashed with Second Doctor Patrick Troughton – Sontarans and a huge K1 Robot.
Matt Smith, who plays the 11th Doctor, recently revealed The Silence are to become his alter-ego’s defining enemy over the course of the current series, as writer Steven Moffat has made them such an integral part of the story.
When asked whether the monsters would become as iconic as some of his character’s other nemeses, Matt said: “I think they will. The Weeping Angels were my favourite to face but I think The Silents are now, because a) they’re just so clever and b) the way that Steven has just woven them into the whole narrative is just really, really brilliant. They’re a cracking monster.”
As well as an exhibition, the Doctor Who Experience has an interactive adventure which allows visitors to step through a crack in time to become The Doctor’s companions, travel in the TARDIS and battle Daleks and Weeping Angels.
‘Doctor Who’ boss Steven Moffat “hates” fans who spoil plots.
The chief writer of the BBC One sci-fi drama – which stars Matt Smith as the titular Time Lord – vented his anger at viewers who reveal secret plotlines, after one fan attended a press launch and then wrote storyline details on the internet before the current sixth season was aired.
He said: “You can imagine how much I hate them. It’s only fans who do this, or they call themselves fans. I wish they could go and be fans of something else.
“I just hope that guy never watched my show again, because that’s a horrific thing to do.”
The 49-year-old producer admitted he finds it “heartbreaking” when his hard work goes to waste, and likened revealing upcoming plots to acts of “vandalism”
Steven added to BBC Radio 5 Live: “It’s heartbreaking in a way because you’re trying to tell stories, and stories depend on surprise. So to have some twit who came to a press launch, write up a story in the worst, most ham-fisted English you can imagine, and put it on the internet.
“The tragedy is you have to work hard at that now. Stories depend on shocking people. Stories are the moments that you didn’t see coming, that are what live in you and burn in you forever. If you are denied those, it’s vandalism.”
Doctor Who’ star Matt Smith was rushed to hospital yesterday (01.05.11) after splitting his head open.
The actor – who plays the 11th doctor in the BBC One sci-fi show – tripped over in his flat while celebrating with his co-stars after they had finished filming the second part of the programme’s current series and had to be taken to the nearby University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff to receive treatment.
A source told The Sun newspaper: “Matt tripped over in his flat and sustained a minor head cut. He went to A&E as a precaution. He is very, very clumsy so nobody will be surprised.”
However, the accident failed to dampen Matt’s mood and he soon went back to his friends to carry on the celebrations.
The source added: “It looked really painful but Matt didn’t seem to care. Luckily they had just finished shooting scenes – if not his bosses would have been fuming because it didn’t look too pretty.”
Matt – who took over from playing The Timelord from David Tennant in 2009 – has often spoke about how clumsy he is and has broken bits off props before as well as admitting to resting his hand on a light only for it to fall on his head.
Lily Cole will play a dangerous seductress when she makes a guest appearance on ‘Doctor Who’ this Saturday (07.05.11).
The 22-year-old supermodel is set to terrorise a pirate – played by ‘Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville – and his crew as she puts them under a spell and lures them away one by one in the BBC One sci-fi drama, only to be stopped by the Time Lord and his faithful assistant Amy Pond when the Tardis lands on top of the pirate ship.
However the Doctor (Matt Smith) is at first unwilling to help the captain who pulls a gun on him, and jokes: “You’re big on the gun thing aren’t you? Freud would say that you’re compensating.”
Lily – who has also appeared alongside Heath Ledger in ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’ – has previously revealed she was delighted to have landed a part in ‘Doctor Who’.
She said: “It’s a great script and a fun character and I am glad to be involved.”
According to one insider, the flame-haired beauty “jumped at the chance” to feature in the series as she’s a huge fan of the show.
The source added: “Lily’s a big fan of the show and jumped at the chance to appear. It’s a real ocean adventure.”
The sixth season premiere of ‘Doctor Who’ has broken ratings records for BBC America.
The sci-fi drama drew in 1.3 million viewers on Saturday (23.04.11) for the US digital channel, breaking the previous record set by the show for the first episode of the fifth series last year by six per cent.
However, in the UK, the show saw ratings fall by 17 per cent compared with the series five opener, drawing 6.5 million viewers.
The two-part episode, entitled ‘The Impossible Astronaut’, was partly filmed in America for the first time and the 1969-set scenes also featured guest stars Stuart Milligan and Mark Sheppard alongside programme regulars Matt Smith and Karen Gillan.
Meanwhile, images from next week’s concluding episode have been released, featuring an aged, bearded Doctor with long hair and tied to a chair, sparking fan speculation as to how he will escape to fight his deadliest-ever enemies The Silence.
Matt – who plays the titular Time Lord – recently admitted he thinks the creatures are one of the scariest intergalactic races his alter-ego has ever battled.
The 28-year-old actor said: “I think they’re very scary. With anything in ‘Doctor Who’ it tends to be the sum of it’s parts, on this one I think the idea behind them is particularly clever and they’re realised very well, so physically they’re brilliant.
“Hats off to all the design team and the production team for making it happen.”
Former ‘Doctor Who’ star Tom Baker says he will always be “grateful” for working with the late Elisabeth Sladen.
The actor – who was the fourth Time Lord – appeared alongside Elisabeth in the BBC One sci-fi series in the 70s as his assistant Sarah Jane Smith, and Tom admits he will always look back on their time together with fond memories.
He said: “Those sweet memories of happy days with Liz Sladen – the lovely, witty, kind and so talented Liz Sladen. I am consoled by the memories. I was there, I knew her, she was good to me and I shall always be grateful. I shall miss her.”
Elisabeth, 63, lost her long battle with cancer on Tuesday (19.04.11), and Tom can’t believe she has passed away.
Writing on his official website, he said: “Sarah Jane dead? No, impossible! Impossible! Only last week I agreed to do six new audio adventures with her. She can’t be dead. But she is. Cancer.
“I had no idea she was ill – she was so private, never wanted any fuss. Now gone. A terrible blow to her friends and a shattering blow for all those fans of the programme whose lives were touched every Saturday evening by her lovely, heroic character, Sarah Jane Smith.”
Elisabeth first appeared in ‘Doctor Who’ in 1973 to 1976 alongside Jon Pertwee and Tom, and in addition to her first run in the series, she also reprised the character following the programme’s return in 2005 starring in the Tenth Doctor story ‘School Reunion’ alongside David Tennant.
She appeared in two-part series four finale ‘The Stolen Earth’/'Journey’s End’ and had a cameo in David’s last adventure ‘The End of Time’.
Elisabeth also played the character in four series of ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures’ on CBBC and appeared alongside current Doctor Matt Smith in the show’s episode ‘Death of the Doctor’.
The sixth season premiere of ‘Doctor Who’ has broken ratings records for BBC America.
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